DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (5/21/21): MLB DFS Lineups

The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/21/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

Happy Friday, RotoBallers! No day games and no bizarre off days grant us a MASSIVE 15-game slate to kick off the weekend. All 30 teams are playing ball, and it's going to be a fantastic day of DFS. Boston, Baltimore, and Seattle will all lose the Designated Hitter due to playing in National League parks, but the only prevalent fantasy option it could affect is J.D. Martinez. As for the weather, there is no rain to watch through the 7 pm ET games, but we will have up to 18 miles per hour winds in Florida once again. Those gusts will make that Triple-A ballpark play smaller than it already seems.

Someone at DraftKings is upset with how we are abusing the pitching prices because three pitchers cost more than $11,000 today and eight arms are north of the $9,000 price tag. I knew something was funky when I scrolled the list and saw Martin Perez sitting at $9,400. Sure, Philadelphia strikes out 29 percent of the time versus lefties, but it shouldn't cause Perez's price to be this high on a 15-game schedule. As I said, DraftKings is not happy with how easy pitching is in 2021.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/21/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter.

DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers

Trevor Bauer - P, LAD at SF ($11,900)

$11,900 is going to be tough to swallow no matter who you pair with Bauer. However, I think he could be a sneaky tournament play with a low-roster percentage thanks to San Francisco's 19-run outburst in Cincinnati on Thursday. People will see that number and try to stay away from the hot lineup. I'm going to go the other way and believe the original one-eyed star in Los Angeles (sorry, LeBron) will overcome the hot bats by the bay. With Bauer, the numbers speak for themselves. The right-handed hurler has pitched at least six innings in eight of his nine starts this year, struck out 77 batters in 57 1/3 innings, rocks a sparkling 2.20 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP, and he's averaging 27.3 fantasy points per game. The 2020 Cy Young winner could be facing the 1927 Yankees, and I would still consider him. Don't fade, Bauer. Go with the arm over the bat and gain leverage on the rest of the field.

Mike Minor - P, KC vs. DET ($7,500)

With the insane salaries for several starting pitchers, it's a literal and salary relief to see Minor available at $7,500. It's still a lefty versus Detroit day in America, and it's going to take more than a couple of okay performances to get me off this soapbox. Minor enters tonight's game coming off his best performance in 2021 against the Chicago White Sox. In that start, the veteran southpaw went seven innings while allowing two hits, one earned run, two walks, but also striking out seven. It's notable because the White Sox lead the league with a 142 weighted Runs Created plus versus left-handers this season, and Minor shut them down. He's facing a far weaker lineup in the Tigers tonight, and Minor should be able to exploit their 33 percent strikeout rate and 58 wRC+ against lefties.

Other options: All the $11,000+ arms, Martin Perez at PHI ($9,400), Tyler Anderson at ATL ($7,300), Jeff Hoffman vs. MIL ($5,100)

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DraftKings DFS Infielders

Yasmani Grandal - C, CWS at Jordan Montgomery ($4,400)

It was a close call between Grandal and Will Smith ($4,100) at catcher today, but Smith's reverse splits versus lefties put Grandal over the top. The White Sox backstop is finally hitting home runs after some statistical anomalies over his first seven weeks of the season. Through May 9 (32 games), Grandal sported a .113/.378/.242 slash line with seven hits and a league-leading 27 walks. However, since that game, the two-time All-Star has a 1.226 OPS with three home runs and eight RBI. The balls are finally getting over the fence, and, hopefully, Grandal's regression from a season-long .125 BABIP will continue in Yankee Stadium.

C.J. Cron - 1B, COL vs. Seth Frankoff ($3,800)

Grabbing cheap bats will be a must in cash games tonight if we want to roster one of the top arms. Therefore, I'll take the free space with a big bopping bat at Coors Field in Cron. The first baseman was on the shelf last week with a shoulder ailment, but he returned this week and picked up where he left off with a 3-for-4 performance with a double against the Padres. As it so often happens, Cron stumbled out of the gate with his new team. However, from Apr. 17 to May 5 (17 games), the right-handed slugger flaunted a 1.146 OPS with 11 runs, two doubles, five home runs, and 13 RBI for Colorado. A bat of Cron's caliber for less than $4,000 in the Mile High City is a no-brainer on this pitching-heavy schedule.

Jake Cronenworth - 2B, SD vs. Chris Flexen ($3,800)

San Diego is getting some big guns back in the lineup after their run-in with COVID-19. Surprisingly, this has not affected Cronenworth like some may have suspected. The left-handed hitter has slotted into the lineup as the third name on the card for six consecutive games. Over that same stretch, Cronenworth is batting .478 with a 1.234 OPS and seven runs, two doubles, and one home run. I'm not a Chris Flexen believer and his 3.46 ERA compared to his 4.49 xFIP is a big reason. The Padres will "help" the Seattle righty get closer to his true numbers on Friday.

Joey Wendle - 3B, TB at Anthony Kay ($4,200)

Hopefully, Wendle's recent performances will keep him in the lineup versus a fellow lefty because he is swinging a volcanically-hot bat this week. Over the last four games, the third baseman is 11-for-20 (.550 batting average) with a 1.700 OPS while accumulating six runs, four doubles, a triple, two home runs, and four RBI. That's good for 21.25 fantasy points per game. Anthony Kay will not be long for this matchup tonight, and Wendle will eventually get some at-bats versus right-handed hurlers. A man in the middle of this type of run playing in this kind of ballpark is an easy way to rack up the fantasy points on Friday.

Trea Turner - SS, WAS vs. Jorge Lopez ($6,000)

I can't fit Turner into my lineups if I'm playing Bauer, but it doesn't mean I'll altogether avoid him. Firstly, he is having a phenomenal first two months to his 2021 campaign. And secondly, he's facing off against Jorge Lopez. On the year, the 27-year old is slashing .327/.371/.562 with 22 runs, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and eight steals. Recently, the shortstop is up to 12.2 fantasy points per game because of a whopping 1.125 OPS in his last 10 tilts. With the pitching so expensive, a big-bats lineup could be precisely the kind of leverage you need to have a great DFS Friday night.

DraftKings DFS Outfielders

Mitch Haniger - OF, SEA at Chris Paddack ($4,400)

The Mariners will lose their Designated Hitter in San Diego this weekend, but that shouldn't affect Haniger. One, because he's pretty good in the outfielder. And two, he is in an excellent run of form. After two injury-riddled seasons, Haniger is bouncing back to his breakout ways from 2018. The All-Star is slashing .270/.341/.649 over his last 10 games while he compiles seven runs, two doubles, four home runs, and six RBI. Chris Paddack is more of a name pitcher than a results pitcher. And by that, I mean, I'm not too concerned about him on the mound. He's struggled mightily at times this season, and Haniger could be a reason those struggles continue tonight.

Andrew McCutchen - OF, PHI vs. Martin Perez ($4,300)

McCutchen is not the flashy name you want to smash into your DFS lineups every night, but it's not all glitz and glam in this world. Cutch enters this weekend series versus Boston on a bit of a power surge. The 2013 National League MVP has three home runs and a double in his last 10 games while rocking a .500 slugging percentage and .891 OPS. Despite what the numbers suggest on the surface, Martin Perez is not a pitcher to shy away from. In the hitter-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies, and McCutchen, should have plenty of chances to score some runs off the southpaw.

Trevor Larnach - OF, MIN at Triston McKenzie ($2,600)

Larnach is learning what it takes to hit at the major league level, and the results are beginning to show up in the box scores. The rookie blasted the first home run of his career on Thursday and is looking to keep his recent performances humming along. Over his last 10 appearances, Larnach is slashing .286/.375/.500 with five runs, three doubles, a home run, and four walks to 10 strikeouts. The outfielder's ability to acclimate to the majors allows the Twins to be extra cautious with their other outfield prospect, Alex Kirilloff. The longer his teammate spends on the IL, the more chances Larnach has to impress. I'm sure they will both be mainstays in the Twins outfield for years to come, but right now, Larnach is healthy and passing the tests to show he can hang at the top level.

DraftKings DFS Stacks

• Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles (Jorge Lopez, RHP)
• Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees (Jordan Montgomery, LHP)
• Game stack: Boston Red Sox (Martin Perez, LHP) at Philadelphia Phillies (Aaron Nola, RHP)

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